Unsettled Depths
by Eternal Contradiction
Summary: A particularly violent wave crashed onto the sand, carrying the rowboat a few meters from the beach. Kagome plunged into the churning white foam, desperate to take advantage of this opportunity to reach her brother. AU.. InuKag
1. Prologue

Prologue

Murky storm clouds revolved across the sky, clashing with the muted grays and greens of a turbulent sea on the horizon. A small rowboat drifted slowly to shore, just a tiny insignificant speck on a planet of oceans. Like the statuesque and beautiful figureheads adorning many a ship as a tribute to lady-luck, a young boy clung to the prow of the tiny vessel, immobilized by fear. The knuckles of his numb hands were a stark white against dark wooden grains as his youthful body compressed itself alongside the bow in hopes of protection against the elements. Rain and salt-water hailed down on the rowboat, never-ending in its torrent. The oars had been lost to the sea eons ago.

"Souta!" A girl in her late teens scrambled along the beach, trying to keep up with the drifting boat. She knew the vicious wind was carrying away her frantic screams, but she hoped her continued presence would comfort her brother. Her black hair whipped in a frenzy around her face, the saturated locks occasionally clinging and obscuring her view. Her limbs were coated with granules of sand from her many tumbles, and she was puffing for breath. Their beach house had been lost from view a few miles up the coast, and despite her fatigue she managed to keep her younger brother in view.

A particularly violent wave crashed onto the sand, carrying the rowboat a few meters from the beach. Kagome plunged into the churning white foam, desperate to take advantage of this opportunity to reach her brother. Another brutal wave smashed over them and she lost her footing in the shifting sand beneath her feet. She could feel the water undulating around her, pounding and prodding her towards the shore and out to sea. As she struggled to break surface, she realized she had placed herself in a more precarious situation than Souta was in.

Her toes found purchase on a jetting rock, and she managed to fragilely brace herself. Her brother was still a shadow on the boat, but was now too distant for her to safely reach. Occasionally a flare of lightening would illuminate his terrified eyes. A wave crashed against the side of the boat and it began to turn Souta away from her. The boat never got to complete its arc before another wave shattered into it and her brother was overturned into the water.

Kagome's scream managed to penetrate the howling of the wind.

Souta's head emerged, and before she could make any joyful exclamations, he started hurtling towards her at an unnatural speed. It didn't long before the distance between them was closing and the closer his head bobbed towards her, the more convinced she was he was being dragged. A flash of gray amid the darkened water caught her eye, just as she was viciously slammed into. Her head rammed against something solid, and she lost consciousness within the blanket of the deadly storm.

©RelenaFanel2004


	2. The Snarky Fish

Summary: A particularly violent wave crashed onto the sand, carrying the rowboat a few meters from the beach. Kagome plunged into the churning white foam, desperate to take advantage of this opportunity to reach her brother. AU.. InuKag

Chapter 1: The Snarky Fish

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"Kagome." A small hand grabbed her slim arm and shook. She felt like a huge piano was compressing her into the mattress and her arm moved up until she was unwillingly slapping her own face. Her body was covered with the airy downiness of a comforter, and she would have thought the sharp memory of tempestuous water was a very real nightmare if it wasn't for the grains of sand clinging to her limbs and the sheets on her bed. She managed to open her tired eyes to the harsh light of day. Her brother stared back at her.

"Wha? Souta?" She blearily rolled over and stared at her vibrant, yet worried looking younger brother. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" She stared at her younger brother for injuries from the previous night and reached for a strand of his hair to idly play with.

"Yes. Pay attention Kagome. This is important." He pushed her hand away in childish exasperation, and puffed the air out of his chest in a short, impatient sigh.

"It's always important when you are ten." Smiling fondly, she ruffled his hair and his ego before sliding her legs over the side of her bed. "How'd we make it last night anyway? What was that thing?" The last question was aimed more to herself, if she had to guess, she'd say Souta lost consciousness way before she did. Feeling more endeared than usual to her brother she enveloped him in an awkward and warm hug. Her brother once again pushed her away.

"Would you listen to me!" His brow scrunched up in a frown as he pushed her off once again. Kagome realized this had nothing to do with her ruining his cool image. He really was upset about something. "Remember how you asked me to tell you if dad ever put something strange in his fish-tank? Well he put something a whole _lot_ of weird in it last night."

Kagome stood. She paid no attention to the way her head spun or her legs wobbled from fatigue. Her brother smirked as if to say 'I knew this was important.' Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder for support and she fished under her bed for her slippers with her foot.

A familiar flash of silver.

"Is it another dolphin?" She stared into the huge aquarium which made up a wall of her bedroom. Their grandfather, a natural fish lover, had the enormous glass tank installed from basement to attic in order to be surrounded by water-life he so adored. Now, only Kagome's room and her father's study had open glass walls into the tanks. The fish were no longer loved, but captured and sold. Kagome wasn't positive all her father's business ventures were completely legal either.

"I don't know. When I woke up on the beach last night, it was already loaded into the truck. I did hear one of dad's men say it was a large one." The hurtful fact their father had left his own children wet and unconscious on the beach while he made a new acquisition to his inventory was left unsaid between siblings. What could be said? Instead Kagome squeezed Souta's shoulder and limped disheartened from the room.

The lush carpet and her thick slippers padded every step she took. The paneled hall flittered with afternoon shadows and the danger of being caught. The old house creaked. Kagome paused in her long trek to the end of the hall and glanced around anxiously. The only movement in sight was her younger brother silently urging her on. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and slowly opened a door knob. The door opened with a sigh and a grunt, but didn't disclose the trembling girl grasping the wood desperately for luck. All was quiet; she remained undetected. With a reciprocated thumbs-up to her brother, Kagome closed the door behind her.

She was in the attic. The opening to the aquarium was in this forbidden room. If one word could sum up what would happen if she was found in there, it would be trouble. The door closed behind her. Getting out would be trickier.

The melodic rhythm of gushing water echoed through the enclosed white chamber. Kagome's head peeked over the edge of the stairs, conditioned to check rooms for inhabitants before entering. She was a silent thief in her own house. The attic slanted down into a pool of green and blue hued water. As a safety precaution there was a meter between the original attic floor and the surface of the water. A railingless bridge crossed over the aquarium core, making it easy to make additions to the mammal and aquatic life. The huge water-pump and equipment took up much of the space on the side opposite the entrance.

Kagome shed her slippers and cautiously made her way across the catwalk. She usually had steady footing, but the metal was unusually wet today, and if she was to fall, getting out of the tank was a difficult task she wasn't willing or quite able to perform that morning.

Once in the middle of the bridge she curled her toes over the edge of the gleaming metal and peered down into the house-deep water. A school of bright crimson and blue tropical fish passed below her feet, and she marveled at the simple beauty of their fluttering movement and true colors. She followed the fish with her peripheral vision, knowing no artist or photograph could capture them truly. A flash of silver caught from the corner of her eye while her attention was elsewhere.

Suddenly, her foot was yanked downwards and she fell. Hair obscured her vision and threatened to choke her. The ebony tendrils of silken string closed around her throat, and streamed behind her in waves. She choked on an onyx and water cocktail. Coughing and sputtering, she impatiently swiped her long hair from her eyes, desperate to see what had pulled her in.

Finger-like tentacles (seaweed perhaps?) slowly closed around her ankle. She roughly kicked it aside, but it clung to her ankle like peanut butter to the roof of a mouth. Her body was jerked beneath the surface of the water, into the depths of her own house. She was pulled and twisted so roughly, Kagome was not sure which way was up anymore. She never stopped trying to attack her assailant, but it remained elusive, like a whorl of tide hauling her out to sea. With a final twist, she was propelled into the glass wall. She hadn't the energy left to realize what would happen if the glass were to break. Her body flattened into the glass wall like a bird slamming into a window. Any remaining air burbled out of her mouth, and she found herself staring into her own bedroom. Souta was sitting wide-eyed and fearfully surprised on her bed, staring at his older sister displayed on the other side of the glass.

The grasp on her foot eased. She paused for a few long seconds before twisting her feet and pushing off the glass wall. Seeing her bedroom had given her the notion of where the surface was, and she propelled herself towards it with a strength cultivated through years of swimming. Fish darted out of her way, but she didn't notice in her mad haste for air. Her lungs burned and throat contracted with the need to inhale air, water, anything.

It took five long seconds to reach the surface. The empty cavern shrunk in size with the urgency of gasping for breath. Her hand closed around the platform to try to stop the spinning she could sense, though everything was dark. Kagome slowly opened her eyes only to be battered by a strong wave of nausea and quickly slammed them shut. She tried to relax and let her breathing come naturally, fearful that her loud gasps would show her position to whatever attacked her, or more importantly, her own father.

Kagome gingerly opened her eyes despite the pounding in her oxygen deprived brain and peered downwards. Underwater lights shed a greenish glow to the tanned skin of her kicking legs. She grabbed hold of the ramp overhead and cautiously exhaled loudly. Coughing a few times, she barely noticed another person in the room with her until a brown sandal dug sharply into her hand. Kagome called out in pain and protestation as her arm was roughly seized and yanked upwards.

Her father didn't have much trouble lifting her out of the pool, helped by the buoyancy of the deep liquid. She shied away from looking at him directly in the face as she scrambled to her feet and he lectured her, digging his fingers into the soft tissue of her arms.

"I'm sorry dad."

"I told you time and time again that this room is strictly off-limits. You are not to come up here ever again. Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear." Each syllable was punctuated with a sharp dig and twist with his finger, leaving red marks on her arm that would later turn into bruises on the delicate flesh. She internally winced at each jab, marveling how a person could never grow used to the pain this little act of torture invoked.

"Painfully." She wretched herself out of his grasp, aware that the longer she stayed with him, the more punishment she would receive.

"I'm just glad you didn't drown." He reached out as if to guide her, and she felt herself falling. Kagome's arm smacked sharply against the ramp as she ungracefully toppled into the water, unsure whether she was actually pushed or had just lost her footing. She sputtered and choked.

Silver and piercing brown.

Her father hauled her up again, avoiding the arm she hit, but not looking overtly concerned for it. "That's what I'm talking about dear, this place is dangerous." She was hustled downstairs where Souta stared at her with a mixture of sheepish concern, and a lot of guilt. Her father navigated her into her bedroom, jarring her injured arm on the doorframe. "I'm happy you enjoy the tank so much, because that's all you'll be seeing for the next week."

It was his typical 'you are grounded' joke.

"But… I'm in university!" He had already left. Unconcerned about her age, her arm, and seemingly her. Kagome smashed her fist into the door once to show her displeasure, realized the way she was acting was testimony to her deserving to be grounded and sulked over to her bed to think.

She was almost positive that for a moment someone was in the water with her. Someone with the richest silver for hair and molten gold eyes; someone who glared at her as if she were the enemy and looked vaguely pleased that she had hurt herself falling; someone she had surely imagined. Kagome snuggled into the bed she had awoken in only half an hour before and glanced hopefully at the unyielding aquarium. The pain in her arm had dulled to a bearable ache, making her reason it couldn't be broken.

Two water attacks within twenty-four hours left her exhausted physically and mentally, making it easy for the humid summer air and the dull buzz of boats on the water lull her back into a deep sleep filled with Orlando Bloom and chocolate chips. The morning drifted into afternoon as she drifted out of her nap not quite rested but with enough restored energy to make sleeping in the afternoon impossible. The low drone of the TV made her grin at the fact that Souta was taking her punishment just as hard as she was, for he could not go out on the water without supervision. She turned towards the wall of water and had to force back a squeal. Kagome blinked. She crushed her eyes closed and opened them again.

The fish were still giving her the finger.

Not sure what else to do, she returned the gesture then wove cheerfully. The fish slowly drifted and melded into a waving hand before breaking up in confusion. Bewildered, she crossed the room and knelt on the room-length cushioned bench set against the tank glass, and pressed her face against the glass. Staring deep into the dark recesses of the tank she could not detect any life. No fish. No man. Everything had suddenly vanished from view as if there never was anything in the tank to begin with. It was like she was staring at a blank wall.

She shrugged it off to fatigue, even though that excuse was being used far too much for comfort, and got up from beside the tank. She crossed her room and entered the bathroom. This room did not have an open wall into the aquarium. Even a fish-lover like Kagome was not comfortable with them seeing her doing private washroom stuff. That was just weird.

She took a long, cool shower, paying special attention to the sandy grit embedded in her scalp. The floral scent of her soap was almost invigorating, and she relaxed her worn muscles. A slight chuckle emerged from Kagome's lips as her mind pictured her acting like an herbal essences commercial. ('OooooOOOH') When her black hair squeaked with cleanliness, and she felt as if all the grime and qualms clinging to her skin had washed down the drain, she emerged from the shower and wrapped a towel around her dampened skin.

Humming a _Great__Big__Sea_ song the raven haired girl wandered from the washroom and over to her dresser. She grabbed the customary underwear from her drawer and threw them on the bed. She swung over to her closet, hips swaying to the song being played in her head, and grabbed a summer dress off a cloth-covered hanger. She did a little dance over to her bed and placed the dress next to the matching bra and panties. She did the customary check over her shoulder to make sure no perverted fish were watching.

Kagome screamed. Her towel tumbled towards the floor as she grappled for it, desperate to cover herself. When she was sufficiently covered, she stared at the man floating in her wall, and clutched at her chest to calm her breathing as well as make sure the towel was in place. She took a few steps towards the aquarium, unsure what to do about the figure staring at her so hostilely.

"Oh my God! You're a mermaid!" She was sure that wasn't the best opening speech, and by the way his glower deepened, he probably didn't think it was so great either. "I mean, I'm sure you are a very nice mermaid, but…"

"Man." His voice was gravelly, but entirely audible. She was shocked he could not only make himself heard through the glass and water, but speak in her language.

"Excuse me?" She could feel her mouth gaped open and was sure she looked very fish-like. She tried to cover her shock, but she wasn't so sure she wasn't somewhat (or fully) delusional. This was the person she had seen in the tank, and she had to remind herself, the creature who had tried to kill her. He almost looked normal, and if he wasn't floating around in her aquarium with a large scaly tail, Kagome would have sworn he was human.

"Are you stupid or something? I. Am. A. Merman. Not mermaid. Mermaids are female virgins." He smirked slightly, causing his glare to shift into a danger of another kind. "And I am neither."

Since that last statement was somewhat friendly and Kagome was at a loss of what to say to this strange mer_man_, it took her a moment to think of a suitable reply. He stared at her superiorly, almost daring her to say something stupid. She took him up on that dare. "Hi, I'm Kagome."

"I don't care." His golden eyes turned an angry molten colour as the scowl returned to his face. "Though I suppose it would be nice to know who I'm going to kill when I get out of here." His growl grew louder as he approached the end of the sentence, slowly and clearly emphasizing that he would escape.

Her eyes widened in shock at his hostility towards her, though she supposed it was due. She did, after all, have a direct hand in his captivity. "Look, I know you don't like me right now." He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "But I promise I'll get you out of here."

"What do you think you can do little girl?" He uncrossed his arms and gestured to the tank surrounding him. The fish all gathered behind him at this signal. "You are being held in captivity too."

He had her there. His face once again twisted from the irate scowl he had been wearing into a harsh mulling look as he began to think.

"I'll make a deal with you landmaid. If you can get me out of here, then I won't murder you in your sleep."

She pretended to think about it before agreeing. It somehow didn't seem fair for her to be punished for something she had no control over. At least by helping him she could right a wrong, and extract revenge for herself and this stranger. Retribution against her father would commence immediately.

Besides, it's not like he could walk away from the tank with his fishy little flipper and sneak up on her without squelching. She was relatively safe, even if he had the strange ability to control the fish.

"You know what girl; I think this might be an interesting week." He eyed her closely. She was too caught up staring at the floating silver of his rich hair to notice how he was critiquing her, and probably wouldn't have perceived it as strange, considering the appraisal she was giving this new partner-in-crime. A partner-in-crime was just what he would be too. Kagome was finally going to put an end to her father's underground business she and a friend had been waging a war against for years and this merman was the key they had been waiting for.

"What?" He harshly inquired, pulling her out of intricate planning and diabolical musings.

"What?" She echoed, dazed.

"You're staring at my manly chest and chiseled stomach, aren't you?"

She snorted at his egotism. "More like trying not to laugh at your girly-shoulders."

He bristled. "My what? My shoulders are very broad and masculine. Just. Like. Yours."

She jabbed her finger at the tank glass. "I'll have you know I have very delicate shoulders…" She paused as he widely grimaced and slammed his arm over his eyes.

"Please do something about that towel before I go blind. You'd think your man-shoulders could keep it up."

Kagome blushed and looked down, finding her towel hadn't even slipped, much. Well… she was still completely decent. She turned around and hitched it up further, embarrassment turning to anger. "Don't you dare look!" As she stalked over to her bed, he muttered a rebuttal about his eyes shriveling up and being eaten by a fish. She grabbed her clothes and scurried into the bathroom to change, displeased she'd have to alter her whole routine for a voyeuristic fish boy.

She emerged from the bathroom dressed and groomed a few minutes later. He had disappeared like a secretive phantom. "At least I have original comebacks, Mr. Mermaid!" She stomped her foot in frustration, actually disappointed he was no longer there to glare at her with those surprisingly deep gold eyes.

* * *

©RelenaFanel


	3. The Convoluted Plot

Summary: A particularly violent wave crashed onto the sand, carrying the rowboat a few meters from the beach. Kagome plunged into the churning white foam, desperate to take advantage of this opportunity to reach her brother. AU.. InuKag

Chapter 2: The Convoluted Plot

* * *

Kagome spent the hot afternoon alone, bored out of her gourd, and flopped on her bed trying to think of things to do for the next week of entrapment. She had accidentally left her laptop downstairs, so she couldn't even do her usual custom of spending a week online when she was grounded. This week had potential to be one of the longest in her life. She lolled onto her stomach and blew her sticky bangs from her eyes. Her bare legs bore the crease marks from the comforter she was resting on, and she absentmindedly rubbed her big-toe over a mosquito bite on her calf.

Tree branches scraped idly against her open windowsill, and she raised her head in hopes a cool breeze was coming from the ocean. The branch violently shook, scraping dangerously at the paint of her window. This always meant one thing.

A black-haired head peered into her window.

"You decent in there?" He called out loudly, as he groped the ledge, trying to gracefully find a way into the room. Pausing for a second, he blew his bangs out of his eyes, a habit they both shared. He grinned naughtily at her.

"Miroku… shh." She hissed, nervous that his boisterous voice and unsubtle clamor would alert her father to her prohibited guest. His shirt snagged on a branch and he cursed loudly. She rushed over to help him become untangled, and he agilely twisted out of his entrapment and lunged at her. They hit the ground with a crash of tangled limbs and laughter.

Kagome scrambled from under her friend before he could cop a feel, wincing and holding her injured arm closely. It hadn't been bothering her overmuch, but thanks to Miroku's foolhardiness, she now had the renewed pain to worry about.

"Gee, thanks a lot Miroku." She kicked him slightly in retaliation for the pain and the loud crash of their bodies hitting the floor. She left him sprawled in a lazy position and sat on the edge of her bed, casually rubbing her arm.

"Your brother told me you were grounded. Your dad's not here!" He stared up at her, eyes narrowing and face turning dark as he noticed she was hurt. "Souta didn't mention you being injured." He sat up, vainly straightening his dark clothes as he eyed her for other wounds. "What happened?"

"I don't think he pushed me, I probably slipped. It wasn't intentional anyway. He's never hurt me before."

Miroku's hand slapped on the wood floor, his eyes narrowed in protective anger. "Not physically at least. We both know your dad has this messed up, patriarchal view about women and children. Why didn't you spend this summer with your mom?"

She remained silent throughout his raging. Her chin drooped slightly from its proud stance, resigned to Miroku's (right) idea of her father. She whispered her answer to his question. "We both know why."

He sat beside her on the bed and rubbed her back in a gesture almost like comfort. She had to slap his hand away in annoyance as his fingers lowered. "Why? Because you can't get enough of me?" He winked roguishly. "You'd think eight months at university would be an adequate amount of time."

She smiled wanly. He was referring to the many years they were separated by cities during the school year, and could only come together during the summer. Kagome and Miroku had been best friends since they were tots, giggling and mischievous, before Souta was born, before the nasty divorces they both suffered through, before her father and his mother tried to hook them up romantically.

He continued with the many reasons she shouldn't be here. "Souta can take care of himself."

She laughed an unhealthy mixture of irony, bitterness and forced mirth. "I guess you haven't heard about last night."

"Are you kidding?" He picked a leaf out of his hair. "The whole town is talking about you saving his life. Some are even speculating that you are dead."

Her chuckle was less forced at this. "Then being grounded will serve for some amusement at least. By the time I get out of here, they'll think I'm a ghost." It was a lame attempt at humour. "I'm here to finish the project we started."

Miroku nodded, resigned. "You still want to ruin your father's business. We aren't going to do it by continuously buying any fish he gets in."

She brightened. Miroku was surprised she hadn't begun to mope like she usually did when posed with this impossible obstacle. Kagome hopped off the bed and rummaged through her night table, dragging out a small change purse. She pulled out a few hundred and handed to him gleefully. "Dad gave me this last week to buy a new bathing suit."

Miroku pocketed the money good-naturedly. "I feel like your pimp."

"You look like my pimp too." They both winced affably, quickly changing the topic back to business.

"Do you still want me to purchase that leafy seadragon thing?"

She shrugged, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. A smug grin stretched over her face, gleefully declaring she had a secret. "They are indigenous to Australia and on the endangered species list. You wouldn't exactly want to get caught owning that, and it would be difficult to release back into its natural habitat from here. Besides, I think it died last week, they don't do so well in captivity." Her grin faded for a moment, showing surprising compassion for a human. "I don't care what you buy this time. I want you to inquire what new stock he has.

Miroku suddenly understood. Her father must have bagged something huge, something completely illegal. "What did he get? A shark?"

Kagome glanced at the tank, wondering if the mermaid was going to make an appearance with a ridiculous statement like 'I'm way meaner than a shark.' He didn't. It was just as well. Now she'd be able to hold this secret over Miroku for a day or so, milking it for favors during her imprisonment. She gave him her smug smile.

"Fine, I didn't expect you to tell me." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're going to hold it over my head until I beg you."

Kagome began to protest, then realized this was an apt assessment and changed the subject.

"I hear the carnival is going to be in town this week. I wonder who will bring Souta…"

"Oh no." He warned, wagging his finger at her with mock warning. They knew each other's tricks too well. "You aren't manipulating me today. He'll just have to miss it." His next words were continued with a mutter. "I'm working those days."

"Working?" She couldn't picture the laidback, charmingly rich Miroku doing any sort of work whatsoever. Well, he might make a good stripper, since he had no shame. Her shock was mainly based on the fact Miroku parents gave him anything he wanted, and he easily played them for all they were worth. His philosophy was if they hated each other enough not to speak, then they deserved his distain and retribution. Kagome knew the real reason was the trauma they put him through before the separation: the long hours waiting after school for one of them to remember to pick him up, the birthday parties he didn't have and the ones they would fight over whether he would go or not, the 'uncles' and 'aunts' he was forced to keep a secret. No wonder he was so messed up.

Miroku smirked that alarmingly charming curl of lips girls seemed to fall over themselves to view. "Yeah, working. My mom said she wouldn't pay my rent this year unless I got a job and paid for half myself. Something about me needing work experience." He snorted. "Then she said it was a great way to meet the young ladies."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. Ah… hidden motive. Miroku crossed his arms over his chest and paced across the room, waiting for her to reply with a snarky remark. She didn't give him the pleasure.

"It's not for women." He muttered 'not entirely, anyway' under his breath. "It's so I'll get her money. I told my dad that mom was happy to pay my rent, and he immediately demanded that I let him pay. Now I can get one of those high class apartments across from the university and be free." He rubbed his hands together in delight. By free, he meant free to bring dates along and grope them with style.

Kagome figured she'd wait until the last minute before tell him she was going to be his roommate. "So where are you working?"

"Novella. Hey, no snickering. Literary chicks are hot." He paused for a second and made a perverted gesture with his eyebrows, then got this troubled look on his face. "Speaking of which, I met Kagura today."

That small fact smacked Kagome so brutally, she lost her breath. She gasped and swayed, unable to stay on her own two feet. Miroku eased her to the floor, sitting protectively as he stroked her shoulders in tiny circles and held her hand. Her breath came in sporadic gulps, and she didn't even try to control it. She stared into space for hours in the short time of a few minutes, reliving, frightened, and lost. Kagura making contact could only mean one thing… "Naraku."

Miroku replied to her breathy whisper with a nod of affirmation. "Is back in town."

She reacted violently to this news by hauling her knees against her chest and rocking against the anguish, cradling her head in the nook. "But he… I put him in jail." Miroku reached out to pat her shoulder and she slapped his hand away fiercely. "How can he be back?" Kagome raised her head and stared blankly at the fishtank, drawing comfort from the familiar waters. She didn't expect Miroku to answer, they both knew how fickle lady justice was (if only from TV). A jail sentence for six to ten years could easily be lessened with good behavior and an excellent parole officer. She abruptly, yet softly, changed the subject. "Please leave."

Miroku shook his head negatively. Her eyes worried him, they had reverted from the cheerful innocent eyes he was so used to and back to the vacant glassy stare she had worn for days after the attack. "I was there too you know." He argued, shaking her slightly. Why couldn't she understand she wasn't the only one in pain? He had seen the blood.

Kagome turned towards him, looking but not seeing and shook her head. "You were gone for help. You didn't see all… he wouldn't stop, 'roku." The overwhelming tears in her eyes started to fall freely and she pushed him away again. "Please. I need to be alone."

He stood up quickly, disgusted with himself and her for still not being able to cope after five years. He wanted to comfort but she pushed him away. He wanted to understand, but like she said, he hadn't been there for all of it. He wanted to grant her wish for solidarity, but was afraid to leave her alone. He started towards the window, paused to rub the skin under his sticky bangs and spun back around to face her. His face was resolute and unemotional in comparison to her sorrowful tear-streaked one. "I'll leave in a second… its just; I want to be there when you need me."

They both knew he wasn't talking about now, but referring to the occasion when Naraku would come for her, like promised. She shivered and nodded, no longer wanting to be alone, but she had too much pride to ask him to stay now.

Miroku reached out the window and hoisted a backpack off a tree limb. He placed it on the floor beside her window and slid a leg over the sill. He was halfway out the window when he heard her whisper in a broken voice, so pained and raw it hurt to hear her.

"I still have nightmares, you know."

"I do too."

And then he was gone, leaving her alone in a prison of her own doing. She tried to continue crying, but the tears would no longer come. It was her turn to become the victim of a madman, and she promised herself that she would remain strong and defiant until the end. For her brother. She had to.

Sluggishly she rose from the floor, fueled by her newfound fury.

"Hey, mermaid! MERMAID!"

He appeared almost instantaneous, as if he had been listening in the whole time. "I told you not to call me that, bi…"

"Now you listen to me." She cut him off. "If you want out of here, then you are going to have to do a little bit of espionage. I want you to listen to all conversations my dad holds in his office, whether it is on the phone or with company. Then report back to me. I have a list of things I want you to listen for…"

He snorted, interrupting her from spieling off her list. "What makes you think I'm going to help a little girl who just starts bawling for no reason? You'd probably weep if I told you something you didn't like." He didn't notice her chin jutting out, or small hands clutched into fists at her side.

"No reason? Everyone has the right to cry sometimes. It relieves stress and… I have a darn good reason to cry!"

She didn't want to tell this stranger her story. He had no business knowing. She straightened her shoulders and glared indignantly at him; spewing her list with a heated fury he couldn't help but acquiesce to. The day would come in the near future when she'd have to see the unbearable pity in the eyes of a stranger.

©RelenaFanel2004


	4. Dream: Eiichi

Five Years Previous

_The blaring sun gleamed off his black hair, making his scalp tingle and burn with the heat. His feet stumbled through the sand, scraping a noticeable path in his wake. The tide was coming in. He threw a paranoid glance over his shoulder, unable to disperse the fear he was being followed. He glanced at the darkened house on his right, and hoped the old four-wheeler the family had was still in working order._

_It took him far less time than it should have to hotwire the vehicle. He knew he wouldn't get caught; after all, it wasn't much of an accomplishment to steal something from yourself. All it had taken was a simple phone call from the airport when he arrived to find out his younger sister was the only one not home, then he convinced his family to take his little brother to the newest Disney movie so he could surprise him when they came home. It would be best if they weren't caught up in his downfall._

_He looked longingly at his house, sitting so innocently off the beach, and gave a soft prayer that he would be home to greet his family as he had promised. He would do anything to see them again. The four-wheeler stumbled down the beach almost on its own accord, spewing sand and gritty exhaust in its wake. It rounded a natural bend on the sand, and he fumbled with the brake._

_He peered around, suspiciously eyeing every shadow for hidden assailants. He was going crazy._

_An almost hidden cave jutted into the nearby rock cliff. The last time he had been there it was abandoned, and the perfect hiding place. A few old toys and rotten snacks were testimony that it had once been a child's play area, but he was almost certain no one had been there in years._

_A giggle echoed through the cave and out the mouth as he crept closer, mocking him with how wrong he was._

_"Shh. Did you hear something?"_

_"When?"___

_"Just a little while ago."__ A head peaked out the aperture. "Eiichi!" At her call another head peaked from above hers and grinned at him._

_He froze in shock. Quickly gathering his wits, he rushed into the cave, herding them in front of him in the hopes no one else saw._

_"When did you get back? Did you see mom and dad and Souta yet? How did you find us?" His little sister, who looked remarkably like him, grinned up in excitement, forgetting to present the 'cool teen' image she had been perfecting the last time he saw her._

_"Kagome, listen to me." He put his hands on her shoulders and navigated her towards the back of the cave. He pointed out a fissure hidden in the shadows. "I want the two of you to go through this tunnel as quickly as you can. When you come to a fork, go left and it will lead you to a drainpipe. Once there, follow the water out to the ocean. I want you two to tell the police to come here, but don't come back."_

_"What's going on Eiichi?" Kagome said in her best no nonsense- I'm your sister so you better tell me- voice._

_"Just promise." He looked frantically between the two of them. Miroku nodded his assent and pulled Kagome along with him. They disappeared into the darkness._

_The strain in Eiichi's heart let up for a second as relief for his sister flooded him. His escape route had been put to better use, and he turned and walked away from the hidden tunnel which could have led him to safety. Nobly he stood his ground and waited. Paranoia is not always founded by insanity.  
_

©RelenaFanel2004  



	5. Kagome and the Queen: a friendship emerg...

Hey guys. About half way through writting this story I came up with a better plot than this weird 'fish blackmarket' one I have going on now. I debating going back to start over, but then realized I have at least 10 people who like it enough to review, so now I'm going to concentrate on just writing to the best of my ability instead of worrying. Unfortunately, this chapter does not fall under that category. It has been collecting dust in my files since August.

Have fun anyway. Inu the Mermaid is back!!

* * *

Kagome awoke, breathing heavy and paralyzed with the remaining fear from her dream. Eiichi. She hadn't dreamt about him in a few months, which was relief from the nightmares that used to plague her every night in the beginning. She pushed her hand through her long hair, not surprised to find it covered in a sweaty film left from the nightmare and the humid night.

At least she didn't go into a panic attack thinking it was blood.

She had never experienced one of the dreams from Eiichi's point of view, and though it frightened her, she was oddly intrigued. What if she was right? Was her brother contacting her from beyond the grave? Was she psychic? Was she (and this one seemed the most likely) remembering repressed details from the police report and the trial and twisting them into an imagined reality?

Kagome rubbed her eyes wearily, cursing the early morning. Her hand was poised in front of the phone before she realized it was too early to call Miroku. What if he had a morning shift at the bookstore? He'd never begrudge her an early morning call for comfort, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt his sleep for selfish reasons. Miroku had been so supportive and loyal to her, grasping onto the threads of their unraveling friendship and basting them back together with unerring determination. Five years ago she had just wanted to be alone and wallow in her grief and depression, not noticing the pain in those surrounding her. She couldn't put him through that again.

It didn't dawn on her she was making the same mistakes over again, and this time he might not appreciate being pushed away.

She turned towards the tank, wondering if it would hold as much comfort for her if she knew one of its creatures had tried to drown her. She just felt so at home with the water. The tiny fish were arranged threateningly in a picture of a noose.

She smiled.

The fish scattered in a dramatic array of colors, exposing a scowling merman. She almost giggled because the scene looked so contrived and flamboyant. It reminded her of one of those movies on TV where there were fireworks, little fountains of water, or scantily clad women framing and enhancing the main attraction. In the movie she had recently watched it had been a fabulous male Queen singer. In her fish tank it was a less than fabulous male drama queen.

"It's about time you woke up human." His snarl was underlain by a good dose of disdain. "How am I supposed to '_report_' to you, if you sleep all day?"

Kagome looked at the time on her alarm clock. "Its only eight am." She frowned, still not awake. That meant she had slept exactly seven… eight… seven hours. A good majority of the night had passed with her staring wide-eyed in terror at the creaking and scratching of tree branches outside her window, just waiting for something evil to jump through the glass and kill her with one of the slippers she had left on the floor.

He crossed his arms over his chest, a motion she had begun to recognize as impatience. "Your father has been awake since six and on the phone since seven."

"I've got a question." She interrupted his report, annoying him greatly. "If sound is carried by water, then can he hear you talking?"

The merman looked surprised by this query, his frown deepening into harsh lines. His tale flicked with the combination of irritation at her ignorance and maybe a bit of respect for the intelligent question. "No. I'm directing my voice to you."

"Can you hear him from here?"

"Yes. Water carries sound, you know."

She frowned back at him. Yes, she did indeed know that. What she didn't know was what he meant by directing his voice. It didn't seem scientifically possible, but then again, neither did his control over the fish. It must be a mermaid thing.

"So do you wanna know what he was talking about." The fishboy floated by with his hands resting idly behind his head. She knew by his smug smile it was not something she would enjoy hearing. "He's arranging a surprise party for your birthday next week. Sorry to ruin your surprise."

He didn't look sorry, in fact, he looked immensely pleased and malicious. He was right, she was surprised, but more by his statement about the party than the party itself. The party was a typical maneuver for her father, and so obviously a camouflage for something else.

"That's it! It'll be the cover for when he auctions you off. No one would notice a few extra people at a huge birthday bash." She grinned affably; trying to show the party didn't really bother her. It did of course. "It'll also be the perfect cover to get you out. He'd be so busy dealing with his influential guests he wouldn't notice his freak show was gone."

The mermaid bristled at the insult, but didn't call her on it. No doubt he had a more juvenile revenge in mind. It took him a moment to formulate a response that wasn't insulting her parentage. "Ruining your dad in the process." He agreed shrewdly. "You're a suspicious wench."

Wench? What did he think he was, a pirate? Avast matey! Landho! "How so?" She eyed him, speculating that he was far smarter than he looked. He didn't look very smart. He looked like a pretty boy model who could only get a low-salary job playing mermaid at a nautical-themed restaurant.

"Your dad throws you a party and the first thing you think of is 'cover for fish auction.'"

She sighed and sat in a swivel chair, twirling it towards the tank. "My birthday is in November."

They were silent for a moment, almost enjoying this quasi-camaraderie developing between them. He got a sardonic gleam in his eye, testimony that his next statement was a snarky and insulting one. "Good job I didn't splurge for a gift then. There's a nice dead fish floating on the top of this shit-hole."

"Yeah, you'd hate to have to give that away. Then who would you force your amorous attentions on?" Muaha, she congratulated herself on a good comeback.

"I guess I'd have to lower my standards to you."

They glared briefly at each other, attempting to conceal the satisfaction they got out of a clever verbal sparring. Both satisfied they had sufficiently insulted one another, the conversation turned back to the matter at hand.

"You'll be difficult to smuggle out with all those people there keeping an eye out for you." She mused, rolling the chair slightly as she searched for an immediate solution. A thought-line appeared on her brow, mapping future creases and anxieties. She remained oblivious to his growing frustration, partly because the scowl was a permanent fixture on his face, but also because her plotting was incredibly complex and farfetched. She kept mumbling about pulleys and diversion clowns.

The merman finally snapped. His lip curling up to expose fangs as he spoke. "Just get me out of here before the party!"

It was a simple suggestion to an obvious solution. She shook her head no. He growled at her like a threatened puppy.

"Why the hel…"

"Because." Kagome interrupted sharply, eyes sharpening in anger. "I'll get blamed for it."

"You selfish little…"

"Or my brother will." She finished, resolute in her determination to convince him the party was the ideal time to escape. "You saved him the other night, and therefore I owe you freedom." She rose from the swivel chair, and shoved her face close to the tank so they were eye to eye. "So if I have to let you go before, I will. I promise you. But ONLY if it's the only way."

He turned away from her close piercing stare and grunted. "Feh. I don't need your help getting out." His chin tilted in a proud stance, daring her to contest him. She didn't. She knew what it was like to have your dignity robbed and placed on display.

"I know!" Her whole demeanor changed into a happy and light mask. He glanced at her suspiciously. "Let's watch a movie."

"A movie?" The merman questioned her sanity. What did a movie have anything to do with him getting out of this false body of water?

"Yeah, that always cheers me up." She hurried over to the backpack Miroku had left her yesterday and hauled out her laptop with a flourish. Kagome then rummaged through the rest of the contents and located the DVD she had a hankering to watch.

Easily setting up her computer to play Freaky Friday, she turned herself so it was visible to the tank. The merman had disappeared, but secretly materialized halfway through the movie to watch it over her shoulder.

©RelenaFanel2005


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